PIERRE ANGéNIEUX EXCELLENS IN CINEMATOGRAPHY 2018

Every year, the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens inCinematography” ceremony turns the spotlight on adirector of photography whose work has marked thehistory of world cinema. Since its inception in 2013,tribute has been paid to Philippe Rousselot (AFC*, ASC*), Vilmos Zsigmond (HSC*, ASC) in 2014,Roger A. Deakins (BSC*, ASC) in 2015, PeterSuschitzky (ASC) in 2016 and Christopher Doyle(HKSC*) in 2017. In 2018, American photographer, filmmaker anddirector of photography Edward Lachman will receivethe Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematographyduring an exceptional ceremony at the 71st CannesFilm Festival.

With a career spanning 45 years and comprising an eclectic mix of over 75 films and documentaries, Edward Lachman has served as director of photography on films by Werner Herzog, Jonathan Demme, Susan Seidelman,Dennis Hopper, Paul Schrader, Mira Nair, AndrewNiccol, Robert Altman, Todd Solondz or Larry Clark, with whom he co-directed the very sensuous Ken Park.

Many films on which he worked as cinematographer were selected in Cannes: documentaries by Wim Wenders – including Lightning over Water, co-directed with Nicholas Ray, or Tokyo-Ga –, Little Wars by MarounBagdadi, A Gathering of Old Men by Volker Schlöndorff, Virgin Suicides by Sofia Coppola, Import/Export and the Paradise trilogy by Austrian filmmaker UlrichSeidl, The Limey by Steven Soderbergh, whose Erin Brockovich he also endowed with a crisp, realistic tone. Angénieux zoom lenses were used in both films.

But it is in Todd Haynes’s last four films (Far fromHeaven, I’m not There, Carol and Wonderstruck) that his work took on a new dimension, set betweenexpressionism and intimacy, classical aesthetics and modern stylisation.

His use of light underscores tormented characters’ psychological subtleties without bearing down on the sensitivities of highly emotional dramas. JulianneMoore (Far from Heaven, 2002) and Cate Blanchett (Carol, 2015), both fighting for their desire and licking their wounds, are magnificent women in a world whose contrasted hues bring to the fore the impossibility of love within a false, moralistic society.

Both films earned Edward Lachman an Academy Awardnomination for Best Cinematography. Furthermore,Carol in 2015 and Wonderstruck in 2017 were incompetition at Cannes Film Festival. An art lover enthralled by his own work, he is akin to a painter using an infinite colour palette. Endlesslyexperimenting and bold, Edward Lachman has theamazing ability to “make” pictures that linger in us fora long time.

After receiving a prize by the American Society of Cinematographers to distinguish his entire work last year, being the laureate of some 40 international awards and having his work shown in art institutions all over the world, Edward Lachman will be awarded with the“Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography” on Friday May 18th at the Buñuel Theatre, Palais desFestivals, along with the many talents who haveaccompanied him throughout his career.

In 2018, Angénieux will also recognize the workof a young film professional

While acknowledging the contribution of the greatest movie professionals, Angénieux will, for the first time in 2018 during the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography” ceremony, strongly affirm its interest in and support to fledgling creative talents in the international film industry.

This year, Angénieux will, during this exceptionalceremony, distinguish Chinese young cinematographer Cecile Zhang- who graduated with honors from theBeijing Film Academy - by giving her the opportunity to use an Angénieux zoom lens on her next project. The lens – from the Optimo or Optimo Anamorphic range, as they will wish – will be on loan during the shooting stage. The winner will thus experience firsthand the image sharpness and quality of rendering that helped establish the lenses’ reputation.

Chinese young cinematographer Cecile Zhang (Photo credit: NA Ti)

Angénieux

Angénieux is the worldwide recognized brand of Thales group for manufacturing zoom lenses used in motion picture production. Since its creation in 1935 by Pierre Angénieux, the company has experienced remarkable achievements.

Awarded four times in Hollywood by the Academy of Motion picture Arts and Sciences in 1964,1989 and 2008, and by the Society of Camera Operators in 2012, as well as in 2014 by the British Society of Cinematographers, Angénieux lenses are utilized all around the world by the most demanding image professionals.

In 2013, for the first time in its history, Angénieux became an Official Partner of the Festival de Cannes, and created the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography”, a ceremony to spotlight the work of directors of photography. For more than 80 years, with their demanding aesthetics and techniques, Directors of Photography have secured the success of Angénieux zoom lenses. In honor, Angénieux pays tribute to these men and women without whom cinema would not exist.